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Governor Bullock Congratulates U.S. Secretary of Interior Ryan Zinke and Orders Special Election to Fill Open Montana House Seat

Montana Governor Steve Bullock congratulated Ryan Zinke on becoming U.S. Secretary of the Interior. Governor Bullock ordered a special election to fill the vacancy of Montana’s lone representative in the U.S. House of Representatives.

“I congratulate Ryan Zinke on his confirmation as Secretary of the Interior. Montanans know how important this post is to protecting our public lands, outdoor recreation, tourism, and natural resource industries – and the thousands of good-paying Montana jobs that rely on them,” Bullock said. “I will work closely with Secretary Zinke to ensure our state’s interests are reflected in Washington, DC, and I will hold him accountable to Montanans and to the values we place on our outdoor heritage.”

MCA 13-25-203 requires the Governor to immediately set a date for a special election upon the creation of a vacancy in the U.S House of Representatives. With only one seat representing Montana, Governor Bullock has ordered the special election to occur on the soonest possible date allowed by law, Thursday, May 25, 2017.

“Since being nominated, Ryan Zinke has not been actively participating in the deliberations of the House,” noted Governor Bullock. “There are a lot of important discussions being had in Washington, D.C. right now and we must do everything we can to ensure Montanans have a seat at that table as soon as possible.”

Under the U.S. Constitution, there can be no temporary appointment by the Governor to fill the vacant position. Political parties fielding candidates will have their own separate nominating conventions to select their candidate for the special election.